Last week Congressman Hastings was selected by his colleagues in Congress to serve as the Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee in the 112th Congress that begins in January. This post offers an opportunity to make a real difference for families and communities in Central Washington and throughout rural America.

The Committee has jurisdiction over all of the nation's public lands and plays a pivotal role in shaping federal energy, environment, land use and natural resource policies. For Central Washington, this means the Committee works on issues that have a direct impact on our local communities. With oversight responsibility of the Bonneville Power Administration, Bureau of Reclamation irrigation projects including the Columbia Basin Project and the Yakima Project, endangered species recovery, federal hydropower projects, Payment-in-Lieu-of Taxes, and firefighting on federal lands, the Committee has an impact on a vast portion of the Pacific Northwest.

WASHINGTON, D.C., December 8, 2010 - House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement after the Republican Conference selected him to serve as Chairman of the Natural Resources Committee in the 112th Congress:

ďIím honored to have been selected as Chairman and will work hard with my Republican colleagues to serve the American people and address their top priorities. From day one, our focus will be on reducing spending, getting people back to work and ensuring our committee work is open and transparent to the public.

ďAs Chairman of the Natural Resources Committee, Iíll pursue policies that both create jobs and protect our nationís treasured lands, oceans and wildlife. By utilizing our vast natural resources in a safe, environmentally responsible way, we can create and keep jobs here in America, grow our economy and ensure that we are not dependent on foreign countries with far lower environmental standards for the energy, minerals and timber vital to our economy. A thoughtful, balanced, multi-use approach to our nationís lands and resources will be necessary to protect the livelihood of millions of Americans who depend on access to public lands, while also ensuring that the environment is protected.

ďThe Committee will also pursue strong oversight of the Administrationís energy, environment and lands policies that cost American jobs, lock-up resources and increase federal spending. Congress has a responsibility to ensure that the Administration is accountable to the American people for their actions. As such, we need to have a better understanding of how and why policy decisions are being made and the impacts on both people and the environment.Ē
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